Psychiatry Group Plans Phase-Out of Industry-Sponsored Symposia

ARLINGTON, Va., March 26 -- Facing congressional scrutiny of its relations with drug manufacturers, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) said it would eliminate industry-sponsored symposia at its annual meetings.

The announcement followed a vote by the APA's board of trustees to phase out the events, but the board did not specify how soon that would occur, said an APA spokeswoman.

She said industry-sponsored symposia already scheduled at this year's meeting in May in San Francisco, would still take place. It is possible that such events will occur at the group's 2010 meeting as well, she said.

The timetable for ending the company-supported events remains to be worked out by the group's officers, she said.

The APA board stipulated that the decision include elimination of industry-paid meals provided during the symposia.

"Although we took great care to avoid biased reporting at all our symposia, we came to the conclusion that the only way to totally eliminate the risk is to have the symposia supported by the APA alone," said the APA's president, Nada L. Stotland, M.D., M.P.H., in a statement.

Grassley requested a complete accounting of APA revenues from pharmaceutical companies since 2003, except those from advertising in its journals.

At the time of the Grassley probe, the group reported that pharmaceutical companies provided 29% of its revenues in 2006, most recent year for which financial data were available.

It also said in July that it had begun to examine ways to terminate industry sponsorships.

"What was acceptable five years ago isn't necessarily acceptable today," James H. Scully Jr., M.D., the APA's CEO and medical director, said in announcing the symposia phase-out. "Change is necessary, and the APA wants to stay at the forefront of a new and better way of doing things."

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